Laugh!

So Sarah laughed to herself, saying, "After I have grown old, and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?" - Genesis 18:12

I love the story of Sarah laughing.  It makes her so human.  There are surprisingly few incidences of laughter in the bible and most of them are a derisive, sneering kind of laughter. Didn't they laugh in ancient times? Some of the mentions of laughter make it sound like a bad thing as in Ecclesiastes 7:3 which says, "Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of countenance the heart is made glad."  And Sirach 27:13 (in the Apocrypha), "A fool raises his voice when he laughs, but the wise smile quietly." I wish there were more examples of joyful laughter in the bible.  They had to have laughed!  Some of our finest comedians are Jewish!!

Science says that laughter burns calories, lowers stress and improves memory. It gets that happy hormone called serotonin flowing and gives us increased energy. Who doesn't love to laugh? It's contagious and if you've ever had a case of the giggles, you know it can sometimes take over. My favorite portrait of Jesus is this one:

  

He looks so human and so approachable here. It makes me wonder what would make Jesus laugh with such joy?

We could all use a little laughter in our lives.  You have probably seen this video before and I know I have shared it before, but no matter how often I watch it, it always makes me laugh... enjoy: Laugh!

God of Joy,

Give us many reasons to burst out in joyful laughter today.  Thank you for this gift.  Amen.